My suggestion is to go with black. For a couple of reasons. 1-better price than stainless 2-easier surface to keep looking clean with kids 3-magnetic surface for kid's art 4-your stove/hood/mw are black so this goes 5-same color on front and sides 6-dishwashers usually can be painted or have a panel that can flip over to change colors if you wanted to make everything black without getting a new DW.

If you are doing this as a flip house or planning to sell in 5 years or less, I would then get stainless.

There are stainless wrapped frigs. I think on the mid end GE makes one. We went a little crazy and got a Liebherr frig. I wanted it because it, like yours is freestanding and seen from 3 sides. It's solid stainless free standing and only 24" in depth (total depth). It's a gorgeous frig... but kinda $$.

Well, to start with, I'm biased. I can't stand stainless appliances. They look very cold and industrial to me, and they are a HUGE pain in the a@@ to keep clean, especially with children. We have stainless trim on our oven and I hate it and finally just gave up keeping it pristine.

I LOVE black appliances, I think they are classy and timeless, and will match almost any decor.

You should keep your ultimate plans for the kitchen in mind. It's all about what you will like, what you can tolerate, and what your ultimate plans are.

The black will clash with the colour of your cabinets, but will look significantly better once you paint the walls.

I personally always go with black if it's my choice but once again, it's a personal choice.

I have also found that, paradoxically, black fridges don't tend to "stand out" as much as a white fridge.

Kitchen Aid has an option for stainless sides, too. I have seen them at Lowe's and Sears.

But I think you have another option. If you are keeping the footprint the same, what about "building in" the fridge wall. You could build a wall on the left side of the fridge to cover that side. Then on the right side of the fridge you could put a pantry, or cabinets, or whatever. That would also allow you to put an over-fridge cabinet in and gain that storage space.

I suggest that as a solution, because that's what we did.The old kitchen had the upper half of the left side of the fridge exposed. When we redid the kitchen we built a wall there instead. It separated the fridge area from the range backsplash area. And since we were pulling the new cabinets forward 3.5", the wall could come forward as well. That allowed our standard-depth fridge to masquerade (almost) as a counter-depth: No awkward 6" of fridge side sticking out of the fridge alcove. It kept us from having to pay the $$ for the ss-wrapped fridge, and it also allowed a clean separation from the range wall, which was to become a feature with the backsplash.

The new wall is 4-5/8" wide. So, we lost a little bit of room in the cabinets on the other side of the wall. In your space, you;ve got a blank slate, so you won't lose any space!

Old layout:

New layout (new wall divides fridge alcove from range wall):

I also do not care for stainless appliances for the same reasons as krycek1984 stated. I like the black also as I am putting them in my new house. I think the black will look fine with the cabinets and also the new paint color. I do agree to think some of what is desired for the final look.

People frequently ask if this or that style will look dated down the road. I think that since 90% of remodeled kitchen that I see have stainless appliances (as a r.e. agent, I go into many houses each week), there will be a backlash one day and they will seem dated. And then, eventually, they will be retro and cool and will be in style again.

I am doing a retro 1940's kitchen and our centerpiece is a 1940 Chambers stove which is white. We bought a white fridge set, yet a black dishwasher. People think there is a rule that your appliances must all match, yet it is your kitchen and your eye that matters. Our counters will be gray with black and white in them, so we can go either way to coordinate.

When you do re-do your kitchen down the road, you can get a side panel that hides the back portion of your fridge in the same material as your cabs. The wall as suggested above is also a good idea as long as you have the space for it. A wall will be thicker than a panel. Either would serve to minimize your fridge's dominance.

My vote is to go to the appliance store and see which feels right to you. Sometimes my gut feeling just kicks in on the spot and I just know. Try to go in with an open mind and find the one that looks right, has the right specs and you can afford. Then buy it and don't over think it. Of course, a quick read of appliance forum can give you pointers on which brands models are problematic and which people have been happy with once they got them home.

I've had or have all three finishes...and if you're looking strictly at "cleanability", black is the most difficult to keep clean...at least in my experience. My cooktop is black...but it is a glossy black.

Black...Dust shows within minutes of wiping it down as does anything wet/greasy/messy that touches it. If you get some kind of textured black, then you may have an issue with fading.

Stainless Steel...Our SS on the other hand, is pretty easy to keep clean...our SS cleaner/polish seems to help repel fingerprints. Nor does dust show. Other than the handle of our refrigerator and ovens, our stainless steel appliances only need to be wiped down every couple of weeks. As with any finish, the handles need to be wiped down more often b/c of messy hands using them! However, I only know by feel on my ref & ovens...you can't really tell by looking.

White...Our old refrigerator is white (it's in our basement now), and it also shows dirt, etc., especially on the handle. But, it doesn't show dust. However, over time, the handle has become slightly gray and doesn't clean like it used to.

Magnets & art work...It used to be you couldn't get SS if you wanted to put magnets & artwork on the refrigerator. However, they now have SS that allows you to use magnets on them. Not all, you'll have to look.

I think Dianalo has good advice...especially since you haven't planned out the rest of your remodel.

Thanks for all your responses! I'll get back to you all more indivdually in a bit. I wanted to send a link to the type of kitchen that inspires me, if that helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: inspiration kitchen

That's a very charming inspiration kitchen. White, definitely, if that's the look you're going for.

I don't mean this to sound sarcastic, or mean, but are you planning on having all the kids artwork on the new fridge?

If that's the case, it doesn't really matter what color you choose, you will not see much of it.

But, just for some info, the GE Cafe line has a fridge that is stainless on all 3 sides.

Good Luck!!

White counter depth. Goes more with your inspiration pic.

Shove it closer to the corner (away from the door, towards the washing machine) a littler bit and fill in with some narrower depth shelves between the ref and the washing machine wall. Thinking 11-16" deep. Place the trash can beside the ref, towards the door. Possibly, reverse the doors on the ref or consider a french door.

Find a pair of mid-century brackets and make something like a telephone top over the trashcan with a small bulletin board, pad of paper or use it to hold purse or cell phone charger thingy.

Thanks again for the responses!

I'm leaning towards white or black at this point. We really didn't like the stainless as much as the stainless-look but that seems a bit pointless now.

bmorepanic, good ideas, except we will be taking out the closet and moving the washer/dryer to another room. And there is only 24" between the island jutout thingy and our fridge now so moving it down would mean we wouldn't be able to open it! The layout of this kitchen is sorta odd in that way. The fridge has no other spot, unless we rebuild cabinets, which we are not going to do.

ritamay, good point about the artwork hiding the fridge. We did think of that too. And yes, we will still be hanging artwork on it. : )

Thanks writersblock. White would work, would black too?

buehl, thanks for the breakdown. It is helpful.

Dianalo, yes. I agree. In the end it is my kitchen and I should get what appeals to me. Just not sure at this point. Main concern is that black would dominate more than white...DH and I spent an hour at Lowe's yesterday. We found the fridge we want, not sure of finish.

littlewomen, krycek1984, juliekcmo thanks for the opinion and votes on a black fridge!

jakabedy, interesting idea for down the road. We were aleardy considering moving the island jut out thingy over next to the fridge once we move the washer/dryer. So you idea would be another was to incorporate the fridge better into the kitchen. Love the idea of overhead cabinets! Thanks for sharing the pics!

remodelfl, thanks for the info on wrap around fridges. But like you said might be too $$$ and do I REALLY love stainless that much if I was looking to get the stainless-look b/c it seemed more brushed and easier to clean?

So I'm now, thinking maybe white. Or black. But not stainless. one down two to go! Anymore votes?

OOh, I like that! Based on the inspiration kitchen, I'd definitely go with white, or maybe stainless, not black. Get a smooth front fridge like a Whirlpool top mount.

You can even keep your cool yellow ovens! We have mixed color appliances (white, stainless, blue) and it is not a problem.

Others you might want to consider that have somewhat of a retro look are the Ikea Nutid SXS and french door. Both are actually made by Whirpool. Don't know if you have an Ikea near you.

SXS counter depth:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00142373

SxS non counter depth:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80149530

French door (stainless only)
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50184087

Here is a link that might be useful: Whirlpool White Energy Star Fridge

I am not a fan of stainless appliances. I love the industrial, modern style, but not for appliances. I find it too cold and stark. I am also not a fan of black simply because it is too dark. Have you considered a cabinet above your frig? Yes, a carpenter could easily match the style of your existing cabinetry - it is lovely and if mine, I would not change it. They don't make cabinets like that anymore! If you put a cabinet above your frig, you'd probably also get end panels for either side of the frig. Those would cover over half of the side of your frig anyway. I would choose white appliances for two reasons: cost & availability. They never go out of style. They match everything. They won't be the focal point of the room. If replacing appliances at different times, matching the white is never a problem; nor is finding touch up paint.

>White would work, would black too

To me, not in that kitchen, no, but then I don't ever like black appliances much, even when they'd fit in better than they would in that room..

gsciencechick, thanks for the links! I really like the retro white top mount....good to think about. And I would really want to keep the funky oven. : )

cienza, yes I agree. I think white is really the way to go. And yes, another poster mentioned building in overheard cabinets and a wall around the fridge. Hadn't considered it before so that's why I love this forum!

writersblock, yes, I think black would be too much. I'm going with white. we are keeping the cabinets and since they feel vintage a white fridge makes the most sense.

Thanks so much for all the input!!!

Do you have a Sears Outlet near you? They often have the Whirlpool top mounts for a great deal. Otherwise, I think Lowe's carries them.

We have a light blue Big Chill that is based off the Whirpool--just cosmetically enhanced. Overall, I'm happy with the size of the fridge.

After seeing your inspiration kitchen, I'd say white is in your heart more.

I agree, a white refrigerator would look terrific in your inspiration kitchen and would look good with your current kitchen. A black refrigerator would stick out like a sore thumb.

Wow, so I just saw your post---and you have our kitchen! I have never, ever seen another kitchen with those paint colors...so funny!

At any rate, our fridge is white and I think it looks terrific with the current paint colors, if you're planning to leave yours be for a while. (I'm not the biggest fan of the cabinet colors themselves, but that's another story... :) Also seems like white would work well with your inspiration kitchen, too.

Here's our kitchen, btw---no uppers visible in this photo but they're painted the same way yours are (which is also the wall color in our case). Same little curvy shelves, too!

I vote for a white fridge. Your dishwasher is directly across, and even with a panel change you would still have a fairly large portion of the top white. Have you thought about beadboard? It's sold in big sheets and is fairly inexpensive. I attached a site to show you how a beadboard kitchen would look. This one has SS appliances but note that it is also playing off a gray.

Since you have plain face front cabinets, already painted, this might be a fairly inexpensive way to jazz up your kitchen. Note how they ran beadboard in the soffet area above the cabinets. Also, it was used as a backsplash. Buy sheets of inexpensive beadboard and molding and frame out new fronts using your existing cabinet doors. Then run it around the back of the bar. Change out the knobs. It looks like your overhead fan vent is a fairly inexpensive model. Probably wouldn't be too hard to remove, clean, and spray white. Paint the old paneling white until you can afford to replace it with beadboard.

I think the white would go well with both your current counters and floor. However, you could also go with a glazed look if you decide to try the beadboard.

Here is a link that might be useful: Beadboard kitchen

After seeing your inspiration kitchen, I say white. It would fit that look better, IMHO.

I love, love, love your inspiration kitchen! That would be totally me, if I didn't have the kitchen we are creating right now. ;^) That being said, WHITE! We have a smooth white french door fridge and white cooktop, but we also have a stainless oven, warming drawer, and hood, and I think it all looks wonderful together! White is timeless, can look modern or retro and is just plain comfortable--like a pair of jeans.

My first thought was white, and scrolling down to your inspiration kitchen cemented it for me. It will look traditional, match your dishwasher, and go with anything else you do down the road.

Speaking of your yellow oven, my aunt just sold her home with it's original yellow (not harvest gold, but yellow from late 50's early 60's) oven in perfect working condition. Whatever the new owner puts in will probably not live half as long!

Personally, I would go on Craig's list and find something "good enough" to last until you are certain about what you want. We sold our perfectly good fridge that way for very little money because we upgraded to a french door.